Assassin’s Fate

The next thing I knew I sat by the fire, blinking. Per was standing over me, a peculiar look on his face. ‘I’m so hungry and tired,’ I told him.

A smile quirked one corner of his mouth. ‘I imagine you are. Well, we have bread, and butter. And some fish.’ My nose told me of chicken spitted over our fire. The others had been as successful in their scavenging. They had a cask of something and were breaking a hole in the top of it. I suddenly smelled beer.

I stood up unsteadily and looked over toward Boy-O. His father was smiling at me, but his cheeks were wet with tears. All doubt of me was cleared from his face. Beloved knelt by the lad. I had not healed his entire face, but he could close both his eyes now and his mouth was intact.

‘He’s wakeful enough that you should get him to eat. It draws strength from the injured person when a Farseer heals someone.’ Beloved gave me a worried look. ‘It wearies the Farseer as well.’

A louder voice cut through his words. ‘Ah, I see that you have recovered the lost child! And if my ears do not deceive me, she is indeed her father’s daughter.’

I startled, for the stranger had come up on us quietly. He was like no one I had ever seen, like a creature from a tale. He was tall and thin, gleaming scarlet, and dressed in bright garb. I stared at him. ‘Rapskal,’ Beloved said under his breath.

Then Per had handed me a torn slab of bread, the cut end of it dabbled in the butter. I bit off such a large bite that I got butter on both my cheeks. I didn’t care. I chewed as I stared at the red lizard-man. His clothing had lots of leather straps and buckles. Things were clipped to him, a water-skin and other gear I didn’t recognize. He reminded me of a festival puppeteer, but Beloved and Per seemed daunted by him. He looked around at us, and then asked, ‘And where is FitzChivalry? And Kennitsson. I promised he would fly with us, to take our vengeance. Tomorrow, we scour the hills for any who escaped us! He will enjoy that hunt.’

‘Neither survived,’ Beloved said in a tight voice.

‘Oh, dear, I do hope it was not the dragons! My apologies if it was. They are very focused when angered.’

Beloved looked stunned at the man’s casual apology. ‘No, both died before the dragons came,’ he said in a subdued voice.

‘Oh, well, that’s good then. I would have hated it to have been the dragons. Very sorry to hear it, of course, and that the prince of the Pirate Isles is dead. He seemed quite taken with Heeby and she enjoyed his compliments. I ran into some of your fellows a short time ago. They told me of your other losses, including young Lant. A shame. He seemed such an engaging fellow.’

‘He was,’ Per said quietly, and suddenly the red man seemed to realize that perhaps his words had been thoughtless.

‘Well, I should find some sustenance for myself. Heeby is sleeping and I have some time to myself. Vivacia will soon be arriving. We overflew her on our way here. Doubtless she and her crew will be disappointed to discover they have missed the battle.’ He turned and began to walk away, leaving as abruptly as he had arrived.

‘Red man!’ Navigator called after him. ‘Stay and eat with us. And drink to Kennitsson, Prince of the Pirate Isles.’

He turned back, his gleaming eyes very wide. ‘I would be welcome here? And my dragon?’ He seemed surprised.

‘We will remember our dead tonight,’ Clef told him.

Rapskal nodded slowly and then suddenly grinned wide. ‘We would be honoured to join you. She is sleeping, her belly full of meat. When she wakes, I will bring her here.’ He turned and hurried off.

The rest gaped after him, but I filled my mouth again. Spark came to find us, carrying a basket full of onions and carrots. ‘I harvested one of the gardens,’ she said quietly, as if a bit ashamed. ‘There was little left of the house. I do not think the owners will be returning. How is Boy-O?’

‘Much better. Bee can heal, like her father. And Vivacia is on her way here. Perhaps we have a way home,’ Per told her.

She smiled. ‘Good news all round, then,’ she said, but her voice held the note of sorrow suppressed. ‘I shall be glad to leave this place,’ she added.

‘As shall we all,’ Beloved affirmed.

It was a peculiar night. Someone brought Brashen beer in a bowl. He drank it slowly but did not leave Boy-O’s side. Rapskal did come back, and with him a scarlet dragon named Heeby. I was surprised to find that Heeby was shy and held herself apart and did not speak at all. Some of the crew got very drunk and sang songs about loot and sailing. Navigator was as drunk as any, and showing all that her tattoos were actually charts of harbours and waterways. After a time, she and Rapskal went apart from us, for she wished to show him a large tattoo on her belly. Per put my piece of canvas down on the far side of the fire from the singing and laughing crew. When he came to sit beside me, he smelled of beer. Later, Spark came to lie down beside me. She wept quietly in the dark.